Plaster lath



W. D. HlcKS PLASTER LATH:

Filed March 31, 1. 5-

June 1 1926.

Patented June '1, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM D. HICKS, OF INGLEWQOD, CALIFORNIA.

PLASTER LATH.

Application filed March 31, 1925., Serial No. 19,614.

This invention relates to lath for the reception of plaster, stucco andsimilar wallforming compositions, and relates more particularly to thattype formed' from Wire or other metal strands adapted to be aflixed to apaper backing, the whole of which is to be applied to the wall for thereception of the composition.

An object of the invention is to provide a metal lath body which shallbe strong, rigid and highly eificient. A further object is to providemetal lath which will present the major portion ofitscomposition-receiving parts in spaced relation to the "surface towhich it is to be applied so that said lath portions will be disposedwell within the composition and securely retain the latter.

Another object is to provide such a structure, wherein ofl'set bends areprovided for spacing the body of the lath from the structure to which itis applied, which structure shall be trussed to render the same rigidand prevent any tendency to sag about said bends as hinges.

A further object is to .provide lath of the character stated which shallpresent a smooth and even outwardly disposed working surface to whichthe wall-forming com-v position is to be applied, so that the same maybe readily worked with a trowel or other tool without engagement withany projections during the operation.

It is also an object of this invention to permit assembly of lath of theclass stated with a flexible backing sheet in spaced relation thereto asby means of ofi'set bends or projections to which bends or projectionsthe sheet is secured. Said sheet preferably is water-proofed and is thencoated with a layer of absorptive substance such as kiesel-' guhr toinsure a good bond with the plaster or other composition.

Briefly, the invention comprises a plurality of separate metal strandsin the form of wire or the like which extend longitudinally of theresulting strip in spaced relation, zigzag connecting strands beingdisposed therebetween and forming a mesh construction. At each junctureof the connecting strands with the longitudinal strands, the variousstrands are bound together and offset in the form of projecting bendswhich serve as spacers for properly positioning the lath body withrespect to the structure to which the lath is to be a plied. The meansfor bending or tying the strands together are disposed -below thesurface or plane deter-' nnned by the body portions of the strands sothat a smooth working surface is provided. A flexible backing is securedto said spacing bends. The longitudinal strands serve to truss themeshes and make a rigid structure.

The invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts andfeatures of construction disclosed in certain forms in the drawings,described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims, it being under-.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figures 4 and 5 are diagrammatic showings indicating'the relativerelation of the offset bends or spacing projections of the zig-zagconnection strands (Fig. 4) and longitudinaltrussing strands (Fig. 5).

The metallic portion of the lath is composed of a plurality of spacedlongitudinal- 1y extending trusslng strands and a plurality of zig-zagconnecting strands disposed between the trussing strands. Thelongitudinally extending strands 8, 10, 12 and 1 3 are shown as beingconnected by means of zig-zag strands 14, 15 and 16, and the boundportions of the various strands are offset to providespacing bends ofuniform extent. Thus the bends formed in the connected portions of thestrands 10, 14 and 15, which bends are indicated by-A and A consist ofthe sections 10 of the strand 10 lying at the bottom of the bend andportions 14 and 15 of the zig-zag strands 14 and 15, respectively lyingparallel with and on opposite sides of said portions 10. The bottomportions 10', 14' and 15', respectively, are connected with the bodysections 10, 14 and 15 by means of angularly disposed oonn'ectionportions 110, 114 and 115. I

A similar oii'set spacing bend in the strands 12, 15 and 16 is indicatedat B. In this instance the bottoms of the bent portions are indicated at12'. 15 and 16, these portions being jointed with the upper bodysections of the strands 12, 15 and 16 by angularly disposed connectingportions 112, 115 and 116. i

The portions forming each of the oflset spacing bends A, A and B, aswell as the other bends not indicated by reference characters, are boundtogether by means of ties or clips 20 disposed about the parts 110, 112,114, 115 and 116 at points slightlybelow the plhne determined by theupper faces of the body sections of the strands forming the body of thelath. In this manner a smooth working surface is provided over which atrowel or other tool may be passed freely without interruption byengagement with any projecting part.

It will be seen that the upper sections of the strands 8, 10, 12 and 13serve to truss the meshes in the structure formed and obviate anytendency of the structure to sag or bend about the offset spacing bendsA, A and B, thereby lending considerable rigidity to the structure.

The mesh lath cOnstruction thus produced is adapted to be mounted upon aflexible backing sheet 25 of suitable building paper or pulp board andto be spaced therefrom by means of the offset spacing bends abovedescribed, staples as being provided for engaging over the bottomportions of the bands and passing through the backing sheet 25 as bestindicated inFigures 2 and 3. This sheet 25 preferably is provided withwaterproof coatings on both sides and with a layer of comparativelycoarse material 28 which will be distinctly absorptive of mois ture forthe purpose of insuring a good bond with the plaster or otherwall-forming ma terial subsequently applied. Such a material maybekieselguhr, otherwise known as diatomaceous earth. If desired, the lowerside of the sheet may be provided with a similar coating 30 of suchmaterial.

By reference to Figures 4 and 5 it will be seen that the offset bends inthe zig-zag strands 14, 15 and 16 are double the number of those foundin the longitudinally extending strands 10 and 12, thus providing asutliciently long section of each of said longitudinalstrands to extendlongitudinally between the ends of the meshes to truss the same formaking the structure rigid and for preventing bending about the offsetspacing bends.

lly this structure it will be apparent that the body portions of themetal lath structure provided by the upper sections of the strands willbe well embedded in the plaster coat P subsequently applied thereto inbuilding operations, as indicated at the right of Figure 2. Also it willbe apparent that the angularly disposed parts 110, 112, 114:, 115 and116 along with the ties 20 will serve further to anchor the plastercoat. At the same time the granular coat of kieselguhr on the upper sideof the sheet 25 will insure a good bend of the plaster coat. As aboveindicated, working of the material into position will be facilitated byreason of the upper sides of the strands forming the body of the lathwill be smooth and free from projections so that the operation ofapplying plaster and the like may proceed rapidly.

I claim 1. A lath structure comprising a Wire mesh formed from aplurality of separate wire strands having body sections defining asmooth working plane on one side, spacing portions of said strandsprojecting from the other side, and means binding said spacing portionstogether and disposed wholly below said plane.

2. A lath structure having a mesh formation comprising a plurality of'Wire strands certain of which extend longitudinally and others of whichare disposed between the longitudinal strands in zig-zag formation andjoin the same, the joined portions of said strands being bound togetherand offset from the body of the structure to form spacing bends, thesections of the longitudinal strands between said bends serving astrusses.

3. A lath structure having a mesh formation comprising a plurality ofstrands joined together at intervals, the joined portions being oli'setfrom the body of the structure to form spacing bends, portions ofcertain of said strands serving as trusses between the onsets, a backingsheet secured to said spacing bends and thereby spaced from the body ofthe mesh structure, said sheet having absorptive granular substancethereon to pro vide a bond for wall-forming composition when applied tosaid sheet.

l. A lath structure comprising a series of parallel spaced wire strands,a zig-zag wire strand arranged between adjacent parallel strands, clipsbinding the parallel strands and the zigzag strands together; theconnected portions of said strands being bent to form spacing members atintervals throughout the length of the longitudinal strands.

5. A lath structure coi'nprising a series of parallel spaced wirestrands, a zig-zag wire strand arranged between adjacent parallelstrands, clips binding the parallel strands and zig-zag strandstogether; the connected portions of said strands being bent to formspacing members at intervals throughout the length of the longitudinalstrands, said binding clips being located wholly within the bent spacingmembers.

WILLIAM D. HlCKS.

